Control
by Star5674
Summary: Charlie starts to see Bass in a new light after he saves her life.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the show, or the song.

I am mentally blocking out this second half of this season- this takes place sometime after "Everyone Says I Love You" when Bass came back for Charlie at the high school.

_I_ _never saw you coming from inside my little prison,_  
_Your autograph would really buy me time._  
_If you think you are the reason,_  
_Give me something to believe in._  
_It's always darkest right before the dawn._  
_It's always darkest right before the dawn._

* * *

He liked to pretend that he didn't notice the way she had begun to look at him. Quick glances had turned into lingering stares. Bass was quick to shake it off as an infatuation. Mainly because he had saved Charlie's life multiple times since they met up in New Vegas, back when she was actually trying to kill them. The irony of it all was ridiculous- but so much of his life was ironic now. After all, he'd waged a war with his best friend. The one man he thought he could always count on had tried to have him assassinated.

Nothing in this world resembled what he knew in the old world. In the old world, by now he would be an old man to a young woman like Charlie and she wouldn't give him a second glance nor would he even consider it. She was Miles Matheson's niece...but this wasn't the old world anymore.

She couldn't quite pinpoint the timeline, but at some point, Charlie had begun to view Sebastian Monroe as more of a person and less of the monster she had spent so many nights plotting to destroy. The maniacal dictator of the Monroe Republic had somehow revealed that below the surface, there lurked a deep soul...a soul who on more than one occasion, had put her safety before his own. Even worse, through this connection, the strong feelings of hate had begun to dissolve into an odd attraction to him. This both frightened and exhilarated her and she had no idea why. Of course, nothing could ever happen between the two of them for a multitude of reasons...but she found herself watching him when she thought no one was looking...and then there were the dreams.

These vivid dreams of his hands roaming her body, the heat of his skin, the tickle of his beard as he kissed her, the way he could make her tremble in his arms. All of these feelings were so real in her dreams that it would make her wake feeling shameful that somehow, someone would know what she had been thinking about...or who she had been dreaming about...and that would be mortifying.

Of course, as luck would have it, she had just woke from one of those dreams.

She sat up quickly to see her mother and Aaron leaning over her bedroll, concerned looks etched on their faces.

"Charlie, are you okay?" her mother asked with concern.

"Uh, yeah, what happened?" Charlie said, rubbing her eyes, confused by their expressions.

"You were whimpering in your sleep, like you were in pain," her mother replied. "...was it a dream about Danny?"

"Ummm, no," Charlie said, beginning to feel embarrassed for everyone hearing her, but thankful that they had misunderstood what she had really been dreaming about.

"She's okay, Rachel," Miles said, still lying across their camp in his bedroll. "People have nightmares, she'll live."

Charlie smiled, "Yeah, I'm totally fine...just a dream."

At that moment, her eyes met Bass' as he sat on his bedroll, running his hands through his hair. He was giving her an odd look. A look that she couldn't quite decipher but the intensity of his gaze was enough to give her a chill.

* * *

Earlier that night, Bass had gotten up, thinking he heard a noise in the clearing outside of their camp. He had stepped across their campsite, holding his gun steady, waiting for another sign that they were not alone.

After a few moments, he had not heard anything and decided it may have been an animal, but whatever it was seemed to have gone further away from their camp.

The camp was silent, all were asleep. It even bordered on peaceful. Except, the closer he got back to camp, he could hear a faint whispering, paired with an even more faint whimpering moan.

Bass tried to adjust his eyes as the camp fire had burned out and he couldn't see exactly where the noise was coming from.

He walked the path back over and once he stood over Charlie, he realized that she was the origin of these noises. He had been concerned, thinking maybe she was sick. He knelt down and gently felt her forehead- no fever. She rolled slightly toward him and moaned again. This caused Bass to almost jump back and lose his balance in the process.

He was trying to quietly walk away from where she was lying when he heard her whisper again in a voice so faint he thought he must have misunderstood, "Bass.."

Bass turned to look over his shoulder trying to figure out exactly what was going on here. He thought for a second that perhaps she had heard him come over to her, but Charlie was clearly asleep. Plus, she had never called him 'Bass.' That was completely new.

His eyes widened at the next time she spoke, still asleep. "...Bass...I need you."


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on the first chapter! I always welcome it!

* * *

_I confess I've lost control,_  
_I let my guard down,_  
_I let the truth out._  
_Oh I confess I've lost control,_  
_I let my guard down,_  
_I let the truth out._

He tried not to think about it, he really did. Tried to completely erase it from his memory. The longing in her voice as she called his name, the moaning...

Bass rubbed his hands through hair and jumped up quickly from his seat at the campfire. He had to get out of here.

"Hey, where you headed?" Miles caught up to him.

"Thought I might just take a walk, clear my head," Bass said, continuing to walk, not looking at Miles.

Miles caught stride with him, "...everything ok?"

"Yeah, besides the fact we're in a hellhole with a bunch of sadist Patriots who are trying to kill us, I'm just great," Bass said, his voice thick with sarcasm.

Miles rolled his eyes. They were no strangers to war or violence. They had seen casualties even before the blackout during their tours in the Middle East. Something else was under Bass Monroe's skin...he just didn't know what it was.

* * *

Charlie was sharpening her knife when Rachel sat down next to her.

"How are you feeling?" Rachel asked quietly.

Charlie rolled her eyes but her face was turned away so Rachel didn't see her expression. "Mom, I promise, I'm fine."

"Okay...I just want to make sure you aren't starting to feel sick," Rachel replied. Sickness out here was terrifying. In a world where medicine was scarce, people could and would die from common illness. Charlie's clear discomfort in her sleep had Rachel on edge, thinking Charlie was not feeling well and trying to put up a tough façade. Rachel had no idea - and Charlie wanted to keep it that way.

To say that Charlie woke from these dreams - frustrated...would be an understatement. She was no innocent but it had been quite a while since she had been intimate with anyone and these vivid dreams were doing nothing to qualm those desires. If anything, they were stirring feelings up even more.

After dinner, Charlie was sitting by the fire, Bass came over and sat beside her. She felt her face flush and was thankful that the heat of the campfire could be her excuse.

"You doing ok?" Bass asked quietly.

"Yeah, sure - why wouldn't I be?" Charlie asked quickly.

Bass shrugged. "I don't know...you've just been 'off' lately...like there's something going on. I don't know."

Charlie returned the shrug, "No, everything is fine, really."

Bass nodded, starting to smirk. This wasn't lost on Charlie.

"What is it?" Charlie asked.

Bass watched the campfire, his smirk turning into a full grin.

Charlie smacked his shoulder, "what the hell is wrong with you? Are you losing your mind or something? Grinning like that..."

Bass turned and looked into her eyes, still grinning, "Ya know...maybe I am, losing my mind that is."

Charlie furrowed her eyebrows. "What are you talking about Monroe?"

"Oh, so now you're back to calling me 'Monroe," Bass said, his eyes returning to the campfire, still smiling.

"What are you talking about? -I've always called you-" then it hit her like a ton of bricks...he knew. Somehow, he knew about her dreams - or at least that she'd called him 'Bass.'

"What do you know?" Charlie couldn't help but ask.

Monroe shrugged, his arrogance out in full force. "What I do know is you are far from sick- you may have Staypuft and Florence Nightingale all flustered and thinking you are ill...but I know better."

Charlie felt her face flush even more, but remained silent.

"I heard you, last night," Bass finally admitted.

"I don't know what you think you heard but it sounds like you completely misunderstand something," Charlie said, not willing to back down or admit anything at this point.

Bass leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Charlotte, I know what I heard...it's hard to misunderstand someone moaning your name."

Charlie squenched her eyes shut tightly. His raspy whisper and hot breath on her ear were sending her nerve endings on an overload. She just shook her head and when she finally opened her eyes, she noticed that she was alone.

Bass had gotten up and headed over to the shed to talk with Miles about their plans.

Charlie shook her head, angry and frustrated...So, Bass knew...but the only question she had was why was he torturing her like this?


	3. Chapter 3

_I was trapped like a prisoner in my skin._  
_I was punished like an enemy for my sins._

* * *

So yeah, he was being a jerk. He knew as much - he had reverted to acting like a fifteen year old kid who would tease a girl he liked...that was the only he could maintain his sanity and not give in to the temptation to make whatever she was dreaming about happen in reality.

If he was being truthful, he had been longing for her for a long time. He had felt an intense attraction to her when he first met her, when Strausser had that gun in her face. Her bravery and loyalty were so appealing to him and he had immediately been drawn to her.

Even when she had been trying to kill him in New Vegas, there was still some level of attraction on his part- hell, maybe it bordered on masochism. Now, just the thought that she may reciprocate that physical attraction would send a surge of heat through his veins. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so- alive.

He knew it was all just in his thoughts, that's where it had to stay. Nothing sexual could ever, under any circumstances, happen with Charlie Matheson. She was Miles' niece...so Bass knew he had to be content with the banter, that's all it could ever be.

Three nights later

The group had agreed to go back to Gene Porter's to gather some gear after an unfortunate run-in with some Patriot soldiers. Miles, Rachel, and Aaron were helping Gene while Bass had opted to go straight back to camp. Charlie had also decided to go straight back as well. "I thought you would probably want to see Gramps," Bass spoke up as they walked the trail back to camp.

"What I really need to do is clean up," Charlie said, her arms and hands spackled with Patriot blood. Deep down, it still really bothered her, what they had to do just to survive. It's definitely not the life she had envisioned for herself.

The two walked the rest of the way back to camp in silence and went their separate ways. Charlie grabbed some of the homemade soap she had gotten in Willoughby and headed down to the stream with a blanket and a change of clothes.

Bass went the other direction to grab another shirt from his pack and to wait for Charlie to finish up so he could have a turn at the stream.

After a while, he could see her walking back up the hill, her fingers combing through her wet hair and wearing a fresh change of clothes. Her tank top was snug around her upper body and her jeans did very little to hide her flat stomach and subtle swell of her hips. Bass turned away and pretended to focus on something on the ground.

"Stream is all yours," Charlie said with a smile. Bass half smiled and nodded. Grabbing his shirt and standing up, he started to walk toward the stream, figuring it would be the best alternative he had since a cold shower wasn't available.


	4. Chapter 4

Bass and Charlie found that they continued to be a great team in battle. They seemed to be in sync and really looked out for one another. The two had also taken to training together when preparing for battle. The two had fallen into a comfortable routine with one another and Bass had no longer been teasing her about her dream...even though she continued to have them almost nightly (she certainly wouldn't tell him that). For all he knew, it had been a one time deal.

Rachel, Miles, and Aaron had gone back to Gene's to work on more plans for luring the Patriots in a trap. After training and cleaning up, Bass had hunted and cooked dinner over the fire to share with Charlie. "So, to go along with dinner," Bass presented a bottle of whiskey.

The two ate in silence for several moments. After dinner, they focused more on the whiskey.

"Achkkk," Charlie scrunched up her face after taking a shot and Bass laughed.

"That is...not good," Charlie said.

"Ah well, it's a matter of preference," Bass said.

"Did you actually drink that before the blackout?" Charlie said.

"Yeah sure...although I was more of a beer guy, especially right after high school," Bass said.

Charlie got a faraway look for a moment. "...I think that's what I will most the most...having a normal life. Being able to go to college, have friends, have a life experience that doesn't revolve around war."

Bass' expression turned sullen. He had taken for granted that he had enjoyed 30 years of electronics, music, television, and a normal life prior to the blackout. Charlie hadn't been afforded that luxury.

"Well, ya know, some of it was overrated," Bass said, shrugging. "I was in school, but definitely could have done better...and really should have done better."

Charlie looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"I almost got kicked out of school, my grades sucked. That's when I finally decided to enlist, same as Miles."

"So were you the drunken high school guy who was hooking up with everyone in your school?" Charlie asked suddenly.

Bass almost choked on his drink. "Ah, well, I guess you could say I had my fair share of girlfriends, yeah."

Charlie shook her head, "I remember my mom said something about you being a womanizer."

Bass rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh, "well your mother was always one to have an opinion..."

Charlie half smiled. "So, I guess you were with a lot of women then?"

Bass turned to look up at her, unsure of where this line of questioning was going. "I guess, Charlie...why are you asking me about this?"

Charlie shrugged, "no reason...just curious I guess...about what life was like before the blackout...and it's not like I could or would ask questions like that to my mom or Miles."

The whiskey had started to take an effect by now and Charlie's questions were getting bolder by the minute. Bass was never one to be embarrassed but he was feeling the effects as well.

"So...I guess what I am really asking with all of these questions...would you say that you're good in bed?" Charlie asked, watching him closely.

Bass' eyes shot to Charlie's face, waiting to see if she was joking or if this some way of busting his chops. He couldn't find any indication of the sort.

"Well, I never got any complaints if that's what you're asking," Bass replied, feeling brazen.

Charlie half smirked, "care to prove it?"


	5. Chapter 5

Bass was silent for a moment, searching Charlie's face for a sign that she was joking. She looked completely serious.

_That has to be the alcohol talking_, he thought to himself. _Charlie would never come out and say something like that_.

"I think it's about time to sleep off some of this alcohol," Bass chose to ignore her question and stood up from his place at the campfire.

Charlie stood up too, feeling slightly embarrassed by her brazen actions and the fact that he was completely blowing her off.

At certain points, she had been almost certain that he was attracted to her as well...but maybe she had been wrong.

Now he would clearly have the upper hand. Damn.

* * *

"I wonder where your mom and Miles are," Bass spoke up from his position on his bedroll. He had tried to lie down to weaken the effects of the whiskey and get his mind off the fact that Charlie Matheson had propositioned him.

"I don't know, guess they got caught up at Grandpa's," was all Charlie offered. She was completely mortified. She was also lying on her bedroll, feeling a little sick at the moment.

"It's gotten pretty late, wonder if they decided to stay there," Bass thought aloud. After all, they wouldn't want to be caught lurking about after the Willoughby curfew. In the past, they had opted to stay the night at Gene's rather than risk a run-in with the Patriots after hours.

"Does it matter?" Charlie asked, her tone flat.

Bass turned to look at her, "just an observation, Charlotte."

Charlie rolled her eyes. This man was driving her crazy!

"Very observant of you there, they aren't here...whatever."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Bass sat up on his elbows. "Aren't you the least bit concerned that something may have gone wrong?"

"No, I'm not...and I'll tell you why. I trust Miles. I know how he operates and staying at Grandpa's is exactly what he would so if they got caught up there and it got too late. They don't want to draw attention," Charlie replied.

Bass shook his head in agreement. It appeared that Charlie knew her uncle as well Bass used to.

"I'm just going to sleep," Charlie said, laying back and rolling over. Bass watched her roll to her side, her tank top riding up to bare the flesh of her back.

Bass shut his eyes tightly. It had taken every ounce of willpower not to act on Charlie's proposition...but he chalked it up to alcohol. If or when something happened, he didn't want it to be in a drunken haze that would eventually give way to regret in the light of day.

Some time later, Bass woke up to see that the others still had not returned. He had decided that they must have stayed at Gene's after all. Then, he noticed something very warm against his arm.

He looked down to see that Charlie had curled up next to him on his bedroll and had snuggled under the covers with him. Bass looked at her for any sign that she was awake, but it appeared that she was clearly asleep.

She was really making this difficult and wasn't giving up so easily!

He reached out to barely stroke her arm with a gentle touch. At the touch, she seemed to stir, not having been in a deep sleep.

The two lie on their sides, facing one another and looking into each other's eyes.

"What are you doing, Charlie?" Bass asked.

Charlie's eye contact never wavered. "I wanted to be close to you," she finally admitted...saying the words that had been in her mind for months.

She reached up and began to stroke his neck, where his curls met his ear. Bass closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. "We shouldn't be doing this."

"Why not?" she asked.

"You know why not," Bass said, opening his eyes.

Charlie was silent for a moment, not willing to be rejected again, "...you're right, I'm sorry...you don't want this...and I am just being stupid-"

She made a move to get up when Bass suddenly grabbed her arm to keep her from moving.

In one swift move, he pulled her down to lie on top of him and took her lips with his, deepening the kiss as he pulled her as close to him as he could get.


	6. Chapter 6

The two were enveloped within one another in a tight embrace, tongues fighting for dominance, and hands reaching to feel every inch of the other person. Charlie had heard people describe this and it wasn't just sex- it was an experience unlike anything she had ever felt before. She had heard people use the term "making love" and this was the closest thing she could imagine to that concept. The physical act was pleasurable but the emotion behind it made it so much more intense than she had ever expected.

After a while, the two pulled apart, breathless and Charlie laid her head on Bass' chest as he stroked her back and kissed her shoulder.

"Wow," was all she could think to say, trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah," Bass replied, completely spent.

Bass thought to himself for a moment, starting to chuckle. Charlie could feel Bass' body shaking and sat up to face him.

"Something funny?" she asked, starting to feel a little self conscious.

Bass stopped chuckling and just smirked, "it's nothing really."

Charlie looked at him, questioning and starting to feel more ill at ease. Bass could immediately see her expression.

"I was just wondering, did this live up to your dreams?"

Charlie swatted his shoulder, "shut up."

Bass started chuckling again before pulling her down to lie against him again.

"Well, I may not have dreams but I can tell you - this lived up to every fantasy I've ever had about you, and then some," Bass said, fixing her with a deep gaze.

Charlie wasn't easily embarrassed but could feel a blush start to creep across her cheeks.

"You've fantasized about me, huh?" she asked with interest.

"Are you kidding me?" Bass asked. "From the moment I met you, I was intrigued...and then when I saw you again after New Vegas, that's when I really started thinking about it."

"When I wanted you dead?" Charlie asked flatly.

Bass smirked again, "yeah, I guess even then...but there were other times that I thought about it even more -especially when we would argue on our way to Willoughby..."

Just as he started to pull her back down for another kiss -

"What the hell is going on here?!" the words came from a voice, standing above them.

Miles.


	7. Chapter 7

They were frozen. Charlie had reached to quickly cover herself with the blanket on Bass' bedroll as Bass sat up to face Miles.

Miles just stood there, frozen in place as well with a shocked Rachel gaping from behind him. Aaron had taken one look at the scene and immediately walked away, not ready for the backlash that was inevitable.

"Bass, give me a reason, just one reason why I shouldn't put you out of your misery right now," Miles said through gritted teeth.

Bass just looked Miles in the eye, silently trying to find the words to respond.

"Miles," Charlie warned. "Why are you acting like somehow this is his fault?"

Miles raised his eyebrows and fixed his gaze on Charlie, "c'mon Charlie, are you saying that it's not his fault? I've known this son of a bitch for too many years to know that this is _**completely**_ his fault."

Bass sighed as Charlie spoke up again defiantly. "Despite what all of you seem to think of me, I'm not a 'kid' anymore. I am capable of making my own decisions and not being manipulated into anything...think of everything I have had to do just to survive...can you tell me that sleeping with Bass is worse than killing people?"

"It was just a stupid move, Charlie," Miles said.

Charlie narrowed her eyes at Miles.

"What were you thinking?" Rachel spoke up and neither Bass nor Charlie was sure who exactly she was speaking to.

"Mom, you really don't want to be involved in this conversation," Charlie said. Rachel watched her silently.

"Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Rachel asked her in a biting tone.

"It means that you should understand a lot about falling for the wrong person," Charlie said, not quite realizing what she said until the words had slipped out.

Miles' eyes widened, as did Bass' as he turned to look at her.

"Oh you son of a bitch, I'm really going to kill you now," Miles took a step toward Bass when Charlie jumped up, the blanket wrapped around her.

"Stop! Miles, just stop!"

"Charlie, don't you see what's going on? He's just using you. You may be 'falling' for him and meanwhile he's just getting laid."

"Hey!" Bass spoke up. "Miles, you don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I? Bass, I have known you my entire life. You are **_not _**exactly big on monogamy."

"That's not fair and you know it," Bass said.

"So, what then, are you saying that you're in love with her?" Miles asked, quizzing him and his look shifts from Bass to Charlie.

Put on the spot in that moment in front of everyone- Bass froze.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Miles said, his tone full of disgust. He threw a shirt at Charlie.

"Get dressed, it's almost sun up- we have work to do," Miles said as he stalked away with Rachel in tow.

Charlie stood there, feeling humiliated. She had been stupid enough to let her guard down, admitting her feelings (pretty much on accident but still), only to seemingly be rejected in front of everyone.

No wonder almost everyone was bitter about relationships.

Bass reached for her arm, "Charlie."

Charlie jerked her arm away, "I need to get going." She threw the shirt over her head and reached for the rest of her clothes, quickly dressing to catch up with the rest of the group.


End file.
